1. Field
The present invention relates to a standup exercise apparatus that simulates lateral rock climbing with arm exercise. More particularly, the present invention relates to an exercise machine having separately supported pedals for the feet and arm exercise coordinated with the sideways motion of the feet.
2. State of the Art
The benefits of regular exercise to improve overall health, appearance and longevity are well documented in the literature. For exercise enthusiasts the search continues for safe apparatus that provides full body exercise for maximum benefit in minimum time.
Recently, a new category of exercise equipment has appeared on the commercial market called elliptical cross trainers. These cross trainers guide the feet along a generally elliptical shaped curve moving forward and rearward of an operator to simulate the motions of jogging and slight climbing. There is a need for an elliptical exercise machine capable of lateral or sideways rock climbing foot movements.
Recently, the art has seen some elliptical motions with front to rear climbing movements such as Chu in U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,806, Goh in U.S. Pat. No. 6,551,218 and Stewart et al. in U.S. Pat. Application No. 2006/0281604. Other climbing apparatus having front to rear foot motions appear in Anderson et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,052,439 and 7,153,238 and Kuo in U.S. Pat. Application No. 2006/0264301. The teeter-totter category addresses side to side lateral foot movements in Piaget et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,518,470 and 5,575,739, Yu in U.S. Pat. Application No. 2005/0209058, Yang in U.S. Pat. No. 6,641,506 and Gray in U.S. Pat. No. 6,679,813. Some sideways foot movement is added to the elliptical apparatus shown by Chang in U.S. Pat. Application No. 2006/0046902.
There is a need for a pedal operated exercise machine that can be safely operated in the standup position whereby the arms and legs can be exercised with the feet moving through a generally lateral elliptical movement. There is also a need to adjust the orientation of the lateral elliptical pedal curve to exercise the leg muscles differently during lateral climbing.
It is one objective of this invention to provide lateral elliptical pedal movement that simulates rock climbing with a path generating linkage coordinated with arm exercise. Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable pedal motion.